Chapter 11: The Assassination of Liu Jin

  Calamity and blessing come from fate

  Liu Jin returned home to find Zhang Cai with a furious face and heard his interrogation:

  "Why don't we discuss this first?"

  "This is a good thing that kills two birds with one stone, and it will be famous for centuries if it succeeds! What else is there to consider?"

  However, Zhang Cai furrowed his brow:

  "I've always felt that there's something wrong with this matter."

  But there was something wrong, he couldn't say it for a while, so he put forward another warning to Liu Jin:

  "Yang Yiqing is not an ordinary person, you should be careful."

  "I've already taught him a lesson, don't worry."

  Zhang Cai looked at Liu Jin with confidence and sneered:

  "I have been in the same government as him for over a decade, and I deeply understand that this person is extremely cunning, meticulous in his plans, and is also a man of integrity. He would never join us. What's the point of teaching him?"

  Liu Jin was furious, and what he could least bear was this contemptuous attitude.

  "I have already demoted him to a commoner, even if he has the heart to cause trouble, what can he do?!"

  But what came instead was an even more intense reaction from Zhang Cai:

  "Yang Yiqing is a man who will either remain completely still or else will stir up great trouble; his ambitions are vast, and if he is allowed to run free, he will surely become a great menace!"

  Liu Jin finally burst out, slamming his hand on the table and roaring:

  "Why did he want to promote you as Sanbian General back then?! I haven't even asked you yet! You're on your own!"

  Zhang Cai was stunned, he sat back in his chair, staring blankly at Liu Jin's departing figure, unable to utter another word.

  Good fortune and bad luck come from heaven's decree, so be it!

  Faint light

  In April of the 5th year of Zhengde (1510), Ningxia.

  "Have you really made up your mind?"

  "Zhou Dong is acting so recklessly, we've got no way out now, absolutely can't just sit and wait for death, it's come to this!"

  "Alright, let's get started then! Now it's your turn, He!"

  Zhengde 5 years May, Zhenjiang.

  Landlord Yang Yiqing was sitting in the main hall reading a book, outside the house the sunset was shining obliquely, and the gentle breeze was blowing. He had been living such a leisurely life for a year, but all the tranquility would be broken today.

  Suddenly, a hurried footsteps came from outside, Yang Yiqing immediately raised his head and looked out nervously.

  He saw a man hastily walking in, and the flying fish robe on his body had already informed him of his identity - Jin Yiwei.

  At that time, when someone from the Imperial Guard came to the door, it was usually not a good thing. Yang Yiqing immediately stood up and thought anxiously about how to respond.

  But this brocade guard seemed to have seen the world, he didn't give Yang Yiqing time to think, nor did he waste words, and directly walked in front of Yang Yiqing, sternly shouting:

  "Imperial edict, Yang Yiqing has received the order!"

  Yang Yiqing hastily knelt down, waiting for the verdict to arrive.

  "By imperial order! Yang Yiqing, resume your post as Commander-in-Chief of the Three Borders!"

  Yang Yiqing's soul had fled halfway, but he managed to calm down and keep his head intact, becoming a second-grade official.

  The Jin Yiwei, who had been ordered by the emperor, suddenly changed their attitude and bowed to Yang Yiqing with a smile:

  "Congratulations, Director Yang, on your reinstatement to your original position. If there's any disrespect, please forgive me."

  It is worth noting that the Jin Yi Wei, who were known for their arrogance and ruthlessness in carrying out their duties, could also be very polite, at least when they were in front of high-ranking leaders.

  Yang Yiqing patted the dust off his body, he had already realized the implicit meaning of this appointment.

  Li Dongyang, the moment we agreed upon has finally arrived.

  He went into the inner room and began to pack his luggage.

  But the Jin Yiwei with a smiling face suddenly stood out and blocked his way.

  "General Yang, no need to pack your luggage, let's set off immediately, military situation is extremely urgent!"

  Yang Yiqing was stunned:

  "What's going on?!"

  "Yes, Lord Yang, Prince Anhua has rebelled."

  Anhua Wang Zhu Youjian, an external relative of the imperial family, has been stationed in Ningxia for generations. This person is actually not very noticeable, because his ancestors had bad luck and only got this small piece of land. There's no money, no goods, and even water is scarce.

  Trees die when transplanted, but people come alive. Staying in this godforsaken place and eating sand every day, he had long wanted to move to a new location, but no one was willing to swap with him. He also thought of going to Beijing, but although Mr. Zhu loves to have fun, he's not stupid and wouldn't make a losing deal.

  Zhu Zhongbao, eager to change his fate, had no choice but to rebel, as he was too weak and rebelling would be suicidal. At a critical moment, someone helped him out by sending the Shengli Army, and that person was Liu Jin.

  Liu Jin has fallen into his old ways again. Due to his low cultural level, he always oversimplifies problems. Although the rectification of military colonies seems simple on the surface, it is actually impossible to implement in reality. You should know that those who occupy the land are not ordinary landlords, but rather militarized local lords with guns and soldiers at their disposal.

  We now call this kind of person a warlord. The local officials who received the order only had a few bailiffs, and there was no one as fierce as Wu Song, unless they were drunk and confused, otherwise no one dared to touch the old tiger's butt.

  The land is gone and cannot be recovered, but according to the regulations, after tidying up the land, the extra grain that should have been collected cannot be reduced by a single grain. In desperation, officials can only pick soft persimmons to squeeze.

  Warlords bully us, we bully small soldiers. In this way, the inexplicable public grain that has come out is pressed on the body of the bitter soldier.

  The Zhou Dong of Dali Temple was the most vicious among the officials who bullied soldiers. He not only scolded the soldiers but also beat their wives.

  This is too much, Ningxia's commander-in-chief He Jinyi was furious and prepared to revolt. Coincidentally, Zhu Can also had this intention, the two joined forces and launched a rebellion.

  As this matter was stirred up by Liu Jin, and Liu Jin himself had a bad reputation, they took advantage of the situation, made full use of resources, and established their own reason for rebellion - killing Liu Jin, eliminating harm for the people (this slogan is actually correct).

  After the incident, Liu Jin was anxious and couldn't sit still. After all, he had caused the trouble, and the responsibility was great. Others were even asking for his head. He immediately sent someone to seal off the news and called in Li Dongyang and Yang Ting to discuss it.

  Li Dongyang and Yang Tinghe first expressed sympathy and shock at the occurrence of events, then clearly told Liu Jin that in order to pacify the Ningxia rebellion, only one person needed to take action.

  It goes without saying that this person can only be Yang Yiqing.

  "That's him, send someone to call him to take office immediately!" At the critical moment, all grudges were set aside.

  Yang Yiqing ended his closed-door cultivation and re-emerged into the world.

  According to the Ming dynasty regulations, whenever troops went on an expedition, there must be a supervising officer, and this time the person in charge of supervision was called Zhang Yong.

  Zhang Yongcheng served as the supervisor of Yang Yiqing's army, and I have always had a question about this - whose idea was it to make this genius? For this reason, I also specially looked for historical materials, but unfortunately, I never succeeded.

  Liu Jin will step by step walk towards the road of Huang Quan with the help of this golden partner.

  Zhang Yong, a native of Baoding, was originally one of the "Eight Tigers". This man had a violent temper and was arrogant and overbearing, sometimes even more so than Liu Jin.

  But Zhang Yong was relatively conscientious and felt that Liu Jin's actions were too excessive, often expressing dissenting opinions.

  For this kind of non-own class, Liu Jin would naturally not let go, and he decided to arrange Zhang Yong to retire in Nanjing. Unfortunately, the matter was not handled neatly and was known by Zhang Yong.

  What happened next can reflect his character, Mr. Zhang Yong didn't say much, did some warm-up exercises and entered the palace, directly finding Zhu Houzhao, expressing his views: Liu Jin is not a good person, wants to frame me, brother you handle it.

  Zhu Houzhao immediately took on the air of a black society boss and ordered Liu Jin to enter the palace and negotiate with Zhang Yong. Upon receiving the news, Liu Jin hurried over and began to defend himself, ignoring Zhang Yong beside him.

  Liu Jin spoke with great eloquence, and Zhu Houzhao listened with rapt attention, but neither of them noticed that Zhang Yong was rolling up his sleeves.

  Just as Liu Jin was getting emotional, a fist suddenly landed on his face, and he heard a few lines of real dubbing in his ear - "You can't kill me!"

  To know that Zhang Yong didn't read many books and naturally didn't like the solutions of bookworms, he simply took out his philosophy of dealing with people when he was a hoodlum - fighting.

  He had a bad temper and didn't care if Zhu Houzhao was present or not, he just started punching, and once he started, he wouldn't stop. But Liu Jin wasn't someone who had survived on the streets for nothing, his reaction was very quick, after taking one hit, he hurriedly protected his vital parts and began to counterattack.

  Zhu Houzhao liked to have fun, but seeing the two brothers fighting on his own turf was really not giving him face, so he immediately shouted: Stop!

  The elder's words still had to be heeded. The two furious younger brothers stopped their hands but clenched their fists, glaring at each other.

  Zhu Houzhao saw that the two subordinates were in deep conflict, so he called Gu Dajun, one of the "Eight Tigers", and set up a banquet table to let the two people attend at the same time, considering it as wiping out past grievances (this scene often appears in gangster movies).

  Two people, out of helplessness, ate a meal they couldn't avoid, said some words they couldn't avoid, like "you're good, I'm good, everyone's good", called each other "brother" a few times, shed a few tears, then tightly clenched their fists to bid farewell, with open and hidden resentment lingering.

  No choice, the relationship has broken down.

  With a deep-seated hatred, Zhang Yong set foot on the road to Ningxia. There, he would find an accomplice, someone who would help him avenge himself.

  Probe

  Yang Yiqing did not like Zhang Yong.

  He knew that this man was also one of the "Eight Tigers" and a fellow party member of Liu Jin. So he set out ahead of time, day and night, just not wanting to deal with this gentleman.

  But when he arrived in Ningxia, he was surprised to find that the rebellion had already been put down!

  His former subordinate Ou Yun heard the news and led his troops to attack immediately. Zhu Zhongba was really too weak and completely not a match, and he was defeated in an instant.

  Yang Yiqing had nothing to do, so he found a place to settle down and wait for Zhang Yong's arrival. He knew that he would have to face this person sooner or later.

  Not long after, Zhang Yong's vanguard army entered the city, but Zhang Yong was still on his way. Yang Yiqing was so bored that he had to go out for a walk. However, while strolling around, he discovered something very strange.

  He saw Zhang Yong's troops divided into several groups, posting notices all over the city, and the content of the notices was actually a military order, strictly prohibiting looting. It was clear that the soldiers also followed this rule.

  This thing is very interesting.

  This was Yang Yiqing's first feeling, why did this infamous eunuch want to issue a proclamation of amnesty and discipline the military? He began to feel curious about Zhang Yong.

  You should meet this eunuch.

  Soon, he met Zhang Yong as expected. Unexpectedly, Zhang Yong was completely down-to-earth and very polite to him. Yang Yiqing was surprised and immediately had this idea: This person can be won over.

  But what happened next made him take back this idea.

  Soon they talked about this rebellion, at this time, Zhang Yong suddenly slapped the case and stood up, loudly saying in a severe tone:

  "It's all because of this bastard Liu Jin, the country is ruined in his hands!"

  Then he turned his head and stared at Yang Yiqing intently.

  Now it's your turn, brother, show some attitude!

  However, Yang Yiqing did not respond. He simply picked up his teacup calmly and quietly, lowered his head and drank his tea alone.

  At first meeting, he spoke such reckless words, this person is not to be trusted lightly.

  Zhang Yong didn't wait for a response and left in disappointment, but still bowed to bid farewell to Yang Yiqing before he departed.

  Watching Zhang Yong disappear outside the door, Yang Yiqing immediately put away his smiling farewell face and furrowed his brow. He realized that an opportunity or a trap seemed to have appeared before him.

  Just as Yang Yiqing was hesitating, his entourage told him a seemingly insignificant piece of news.

  When Zhang Yong entered the city, he gave his entourage 100 taels of silver. This money could be taken by each of them, but with one condition - it was not allowed to take a single cent from the common people under any name.

  This matter that was laughed at by the attendants actually moved Yang Yiqing, and he began to realize that Zhang Yong might indeed be a trustworthy good person.

  But what happened soon after made him even more determined in his thoughts.

  Zhang Yong came to visit Yang Yiqing again. This time he didn't come empty-handed, and he was holding several notices in his hand.

  He didn't mince words either, slamming the notice onto the table in a huff and sitting down abruptly.

  "Take a look!"

  From Zhang Yongjin's arrival to his sitting down, Yang Yiqing remained seated and motionless, with decades of experience making him profound and steady.

  He glanced at the notice and put it down:

  "This is Zhu Zhishan's letter of rebellion; I've already read it long ago."

  However, Yang Yiqing's calm tone provoked Zhang Yong's discontent:

  "He rebelled only because of Liu Jin. The crimes listed above are all true! You also know very well that Liu Jin is really a heinous criminal!"

  Yang Yiqing finally stood up, he slowly walked to Zhang Yong's front, and suddenly let out a cold laugh:

  "So, Zhang Gonggong, what can you do now?"

  Zhang Yong was stunned, he thought for a moment and had an idea:

  "Zhu Zhongjian's proclamation is the evidence, just take it back to report to the Emperor and explain the reason for his rebellion. Liu Jin will definitely not be able to escape punishment!"

  Yang Yiqing smiled again and said with a heavy heart:

  "Director Zhang, you'd better think it over clearly."

  "Mr. Yang, did you think I'd be afraid of him?"

  Yang Yiqing looked at Zhang Yong's angry face and stopped smiling. He pointed his hand towards the direction of Beijing on the map and made a gesture.

  He drew a straight line between Ningxia and Beijing.

  Zhang Yong understood that he was in Ningxia and Liu Jin was in Beijing, he was far away from the emperor, while Liu Jin was close to the emperor, he couldn't bring down Liu Jin.

  He looked up at Yang Yiqing and nodded in understanding.

  It was an unsuccessful negotiation, and Zhang Yong left in disappointment once again.

  However, Zhang Yong did not know that his actions had already sown a seed of fire in Yang Yiqing's heart, and he had made up his mind.

  Killing intent

  Yang Yiqing had been sleeping poorly for several nights in a row.

  He has been thinking hard about the countermeasures, and now the situation is very clear. Zhang Yong is indeed dissatisfied with Liu Jin, and Zhu's notice is also a great opportunity. However, the problem is that Zhang Yong may not listen to his own words and go all out with Liu Jin. More importantly, even if Zhang Yong agrees, how can he convince the emperor to get rid of Liu Jin?

  It has come to this, there's nothing left but to use the last resort.

  Zhengde 5th year (1510) July, Ningxia.

  Yang Yiqing handed over all the prisoners to Zhang Yong and escorted them out of the border himself. He would see off Zhang Yong at the provincial boundary and part ways, returning to his post.

  The final banquet will be held in the evening, and the last opportunity will also arise at this time.

  Yang Yiqing extended an invitation and Zhang Yong accepted gladly. After more than two months of contact, they had become friends.

  Both sides followed the usual practice of drinking and chatting, making a racket until very late. At this time, Yang Yiqing suddenly made a gesture, letting everyone else retreat.

  Zhang Yong saw the gesture, but pretended not to know. He had already sensed that Yang Yiqing was going to say something extremely important to him. Under his seemingly calm exterior, his hand had tightly grasped his collar.

  Yang Yiqing was extremely nervous, after more than two months of exploration and communication, things had come to this point, although many things were not yet fully planned, but the opportunity was not to be missed, tonight was the last chance.

  It's time to show your cards!

  "Mr. Zhang, I have something to say to you."

  Take it easy, don't rush for now.

  "This time, thanks to your help, the rebellion was quelled. Although the external vassal kings have been pacified, the internal traitors of the court are still a great threat to the country."

  Zhang Yong's whole body shook, he was very clear who this "big trouble" was, only he didn't think that the person in front of him, who had been silent for two months, would bring up this matter at this time. It seems that intellectuals are still formidable, if they don't make a move, it's fine, but once they do, it's fatal.

  It seems like it's time to get serious, but still can't be careless, want to do it, also want him to say it out loud!

  "Mr. Yang, who are you talking about?"

  Well done, indeed worthy of being one of the "Eight Tigers", truly sharp to the extreme. But now that things have come to this point, there's no way to turn back. Be careful, extremely careful, can't let him grasp any handle.

  Yang Yiqing dipped his finger in wine and wrote a word on the palm of his hand - "Jin".

  Since it's already come to this point, I might as well lay everything out and talk about it!

  "Mr. Yang, this person is a favorite of the Emperor himself, his accomplices are all over the court and the countryside, not easy to deal with."

  Looking at Zhang Yong's puzzled expression, Yang Yiqing smiled confidently:

  "This thing can't be done by anyone in the world, but Zhang Gonggong can do it. You are the emperor's favorite, and this time you have made great contributions to the expedition. The emperor will surely summon you, and when that happens, tell him about Zhu Zhongbao's rebellion, Liu Jin is sure to die!"

  But Zhang Yong still hesitated.

  He's already tempted, and with just one more sentence, it'll be a done deal - he absolutely can't resist this temptation!

  "With Liu Jin dead, the great power in the palace will naturally all belong to you. Beheading this treacherous and evil man, getting rid of the old and introducing the new, eliminating the treacherous party, you will surely be able to leave a name that will last for thousands of generations!"

  Up to now, Zhang Yong finally figured out the account. This business was risky, but if it succeeded, the future would be boundless. He decided to take this risk, but before taking action, he still had one last doubt.

  "What if His Majesty does not believe me?"

  That's right, this is the most critical and important issue - how to persuade the emperor? But it doesn't matter, I have already found the answer to this difficult problem.

  "The Emperor won't believe anyone else's words, but you, Zhang Gonggong, are the only exception. The Emperor will definitely trust you. If the situation becomes urgent and the Emperor doesn't believe, please remember, Zhang Gonggong, not to retreat, and fight to the death!"

  "Your Majesty, once you agree, immediately dispatch troops and take action, absolutely no delay is allowed. If we act according to this plan, the great affair will surely succeed!"

  Yang Yiqing finally finished speaking, and he quietly waited for Zhang Yong's response.

  After a moment of unbearable silence, Zhang Yong, who had been sitting in meditation, suddenly stood up and let out a loud roar:

  "It's all gone! I'll do it! This life is no longer wanted by me!"

  At this time, Liu Jin in the capital was very pleased with himself. He had not expected that the rebellion would be put down so quickly. Of course, on the memorial reporting the victory, only his name was mentioned. To commemorate this victory, he planned to take advantage of the opportunity to promote his own brother to a official position, making him a lieutenant general.

  Unfortunately, his brother was not lucky enough to be an official and died after only two days.

  Liu Jin was extremely grieved and decided to hold a grand funeral for his brother, arranging for all civil and military officials to attend and see off his brother.

  This move, in colloquial terms, is to die with a flourish!

  To ensure the funeral went smoothly, Liu Jin repeatedly considered the date of the ceremony and finally chose a auspicious day he thought was ideal: August 15th, Zhengde 5th year.

  This is indeed a lucky day for the Yellow Way, but it's not suitable for funeral, it's for eliminating evil!

  After that, Liu Jin and his men worked day and night to prepare for the funeral, waiting only for the appointed day to arrive.

  August 15th, sunny.

  The weather was so suitable that Liu Jin was just sighing with gratitude to heaven, when a group of horsemen had already arrived at Desheng Gate.

  Zhang Yong arrived, he set out from Ningxia, day and night, and finally rushed to the capital on this critical day.

  At this time, he no longer had any doubts or concerns, because just after the conspiracy, on that clear morning, Yang Yiqing handed over all his trump cards to him before leaving.

  "Mr. Yang, even if I can persuade the Emperor this time, are you sure you can kill Liu Jin?"

  The meaning is very clear, I'll risk my life to do it, but you also need to make your background clear, in case you're a shell company or individual business, brother, even if I sacrifice myself, it's all in vain.

  Yang Yiqing smiled:

  "Director Zhang can rest assured that once Liu Jin loses power, someone will naturally come looking for you, and within ten days, Liu Jin will be killed!"

  Zhang Yong let out a sigh of relief and patted his horse, preparing to leave. But Yang Yiqing blocked his way.

  "What is Director Zhang going to report to His Majesty?"

  "Zhu Di's rebellious proclamation is enough."

  Yang Yiqing shook his head and pulled out a document from his sleeve:

  "That won't work, use this one instead."

  Zhang Yong curiously opened the document, and after reading it, he was stunned. This document not only listed all of Liu Jin's crimes, but also provided various evidence, which totaled seventeen counts! Moreover, the writing style was fluent, the logic was clear, and the language was vivid, making it a rare good article.

  He took a deep breath, looked at Yang Yiqing who was calm and composed, and said no more. He put away the documents, turned his horse around and set off on the road.

  Good grief, scholars really can't be messed with!

  Banquet (dinner)

  Zhang Yong was preparing to enter the city, but a group of people who had rushed over upon hearing the news blocked his way. It turned out that Liu Jin had learned about this and was extremely flustered, and his premonition of impending danger helped him. He immediately issued an order: Zhang Yong would be allowed to enter the city another day, and today's funeral would proceed as scheduled.

  But he underestimated Zhang Yong too much. For these blockers, Zhang Yong's answer was very simple and clear - horse whip.

  "Liu Jin doesn't even put his father in his eyes, what are you guys, dare to block the way!?"

  Zhang Gonggong fought his way in while cursing, and entered the city in such a majestic manner. No one dared to come forward and stop him again.

  Liu Jin heard about it and had no choice but to hang his head in despair and tell his subordinates that the funeral would be postponed to the next day, which was August 16th.

  Liu Jin didn't have to be so extravagant and wasteful, he would only be able to muddle along until the 15th of August anyway. In order to save money, his funeral could be held together with that of his brother.

  Zhang Yong presented the news to the emperor, Zhu Houzhao was overjoyed and immediately ordered his attendants to prepare a banquet. In the evening, he would invite Zhang Yong to dinner, of course, Liu Jin would also be present as an escort.

  Zhang Yong learned of the news, he didn't go to chat with Zhu Lao Da, but returned to his own residence, quietly sitting on the bed, closing his eyes and waiting for the arrival of night.

  Tonight, tonight, the final moment is about to arrive.

  A bad premonition was haunting Liu Jin, although he wasn't highly educated, he was also a clever person. Zhang Yong came neither early nor late, but just today, there must be some problem.

  But what can he do?

  To report to the emperor? Or send someone to secretly assassinate?

  Liu Jin thought for a long time about these two possible situations and made his own preparations. He believed that this way, he would be absolutely safe.

  Then he confidently attended the dinner party.

  The competition officially kicked off.

  The banquet began, with Zhu Houzhao reading out the commendation order. He praised Zhang Yong's selfless spirit for the country and commended his outstanding military achievements. Of course, he also didn't forget to praise Mr. Liu Jin's logistical work as being well done.

  After complimenting each other and finishing their conversation, they started doing the real thing - eating.

  Zhu Houzhao only drank wine, Liu Jin nervously looked at Zhang Yong, but Zhang Yong didn't look at him, and instead focused on eating with his head down.

  Soon an even stranger scene appeared, with everyone singing and dancing, coming and going. Before long, some people were unconscious, Zhang Yong seemed to be in high spirits and had drunk a lot of wine, while Liu Jin did not touch a drop, he seemed to have no interest in the banquet at all, but stared fixedly at Zhang Yong.

  The banquet went on till late at night, but Zhu Houzhao was still not satisfied. This gentleman wanted to continue drinking and having fun, Zhang Yong seemed to be very happy too, accompanying Zhu Houzhao in drinking, Liu Jin did not drink wine, but he also didn't leave.

  This was his strategy, as long as he kept Zhang Yong in check and didn't give him a chance to speak, he could temporarily control the situation.

  But soon Liu Jin found out that he couldn't stay anymore.

  I still have to attend a funeral tomorrow!

  It seems that it will take some time to disperse, and we can't stay here forever, accompanying these two brothers to play all night.

  He finally got up and bid farewell, after obtaining Zhu Houzhao's consent. Liu Jin looked at Zhang Yong who was drunk and left here with peace of mind.

  But before he left, he ordered his subordinates to do one thing: increase the number of troops, impose a curfew on the whole city, and strictly prohibit any troop movements!

  This was Liu Jin's foolproof plan: plug up Zhang Yong's mouth, lock down Zhang Yong's troops, and in two days, take care of Zhang Yong himself.

  But Liu Jin miscalculated, he didn't know that Zhang Yong had been secretly watching him throughout the chaotic banquet. Because on this night, a real show was about to begin from the moment he left the banquet.

  Zhang Yong waited for a long time. When he found that Liu Jin didn't eat or drink, but just stared at him blankly, he already understood this old brother's plan - today we're going to have a showdown.

  Then let's see who is afraid of whom!

  His behavior at the banquet finally paralyzed Liu Jin's nerves, and when he saw Liu Jin walk out of the gate, his drunken eyes immediately disappeared, and all his wisdom and courage returned to him in an instant.

  It's time to take action!

  "Your Majesty, I have a confidential report!"

  Go all out!

  Zhu Houzhao, who was drunk and confused, was startled by the loud shout. He curiously looked at Zhang Yong, who had fallen to his knees, and opened the document drafted by Yang Yiqing.

  The charges on the indictment roughly include attempted treason, privately raising soldiers, privately storing weapons, inciting a military uprising and so on, anyway whichever one can be executed quickly will be used.

  Seeing Zhu Houzhao carefully reading the document, Zhang Yong, who was kneeling below, suddenly felt a burst of wild joy. With such a crime, are you still afraid that you can't be overthrown?

  But he waited for a long time, yet there was no response at all.

  Zhang Yongna raised his head sullenly and found that the document had been placed aside, while Zhu Houzhao's hand held up a wine cup again.

  Zhu Houzhao found Zhang Yong looking at himself, smiled and said a few words, also giving Zhang Yong an answer.

  This was an answer that would go down in history books, and also one that made Zhang Yong dare not believe his own ears.

  "Let's just forget about these things for now and talk about them another day, let's continue drinking!"

  Before this, Zhang Yong had anticipated Zhu Houzhao's reaction for a long time, but he never dreamed that the reply he got would be like this!

  Zhang Yong suspected that he had misheard, but when he saw Zhu Houzhao drinking by himself, he realized what kind of situation he was facing!

  The words have already been spoken, the palace is full of Liu Jin's eyes and ears, tomorrow morning, these words will reach Liu Jin's ears, at that time, I will definitely die without a place to bury my body!

  What to do?! What to do?!

  Zhang Yong finally panicked, his whole body began to tremble, but at this critical moment, he remembered the sentence he heard when they were plotting in secret half a month ago.

  "We will never retreat! We'll fight to the death!"

  It's come to this, let's go all out!

  He suddenly took off his hat and knocked his head against Zhu Houzhao's with great force, saying loudly:

  "Farewell for today, I will never see Your Majesty again, I hope you take care of yourself!"

  Zhu Houzhao finally put away his playful expression, he knew the weight of these words.

  "What exactly do you want to say?"

  "Liu Jin is guilty!"

  "What crime?"

  "Seize the Great Ming Empire!"

  That's enough, I've said all I need to say.

  But Zhang Yong was surprised again, because he heard such an answer:

  "Let him take the world for himself!"

  This is completely over, there are actually people in this world who have no conscience!

  Zhang Yong was desperate, everything seemed irretrievable. A person who didn't even care about the country and its people, what else would they be unwilling to give up?

  No! There's something else too!

  In an instant, all the blood in his body rushed into Zhang Yong's brain, and there was an answer that could save everything!

  "The world has fallen into Liu Jin's hands, where will Your Majesty go?"

  Zhu Houzhao's smile froze on his face, and he only then realized that there was one thing he couldn't do without - his life.

  Liu Jin usurped the world, where can he go? Where can he go?!

  After five years of fooling around, Zhu Houzhao finally showed his true colors, and for the first time, a murderous aura appeared on his face.

  "Go get him, go now!"

  Actually that night, Liu Jin did not go home, he slept in the inner value room nearby, also in order to be able to respond to any possible situation at any time.

  It should be said that his move still had some effect - at least it made it easier for those who caught him.

  Just as he was sleeping soundly, he suddenly heard a commotion outside and immediately got up, loudly asking:

  "Who is making noise?"

  Liu Gonggong was indeed majestic, and the outside suddenly became quiet, with only one voice responding:

  "An imperial edict has been issued! Liu Jin, come quickly!"

  Liu Jin finally put on his clothes and calmly opened the door without any hurry.

  Then he saw Zhang Yong with a smile on his face.

  The next day, the all-powerful Liu Jin was searched and over 5 million taels of silver were seized, as well as countless rare treasures, literary works, paintings, and calligraphy. Even Zhu Houzhao heard the news and rushed to see it, broadening his horizons.

  But Zhu Houzhao was not angry about Liu Jin's corruption, on the contrary, after a night, he even felt a little sympathy for Liu Jin. After all, this person had served him for so long and did not have any treasonous actions, just being locked up in prison like this was really not very reasonable.

  He specially ordered a few clothes to be sent to Liu Jin in prison.

  This was a dangerous signal, and Zhang Yong began to feel uneasy. What if Liu Jin turned over in his coffin, he would be finished.

  But just one day later, he completely let his guard down because someone came to visit him as promised - Li Dongyang.

  Zhang Yong finally knew the severity of Yang Yiqing, he not only moved himself, but also measured the emperor's hesitation and countermeasures, and arranged the final killing move.

  Li Dongyang handled things very efficiently and told Zhang Yong that in fact, solving Liu Jin's problem was quite simple.

  The next day, the six boards and thirteen circuits (officials in charge of the thirteen provinces) jointly submitted a memorial to the emperor, with nineteen charges against Liu Jin, including corruption, bribery, judicial corruption, control of speech, etc. In an instant, Zhu Houzhao's desk was buried under a mountain of papers.

  What's even more fatal is that the relevant departments, with a serious and responsible attitude, re-examined Liu Jin's home and unexpectedly found thousands of armor and weapons (which were overlooked last time). At the same time, they also discovered that behind a fan often used by Liu Jin, there was a hidden weapon (also overlooked last time). It seems that Liu Jin should be an unparalleled martial arts master, always ready to personally assassinate His Majesty the Emperor, and satisfy his desire to be like Jing Ke.

  Looking at the full table of documents and indictments, as well as that fan, Zhu Houzhao cut off all his merciful thoughts.

  "You scoundrel, you really want to rebel!"

  But Liu Jin is still Liu Jin, and even at this point, he still took astonishing actions.

  The Ministry of Punishment, following Zhu Houzhao's instructions, convened a meeting with all officials to review the case. After Liu Jin was brought before them, not only did he fail to show respect, but instead looked around at the surrounding officials with a cold smile, and suddenly let out a loud shout:

  "You people, all of whom I recommended, now dare to interrogate me?!"

  As soon as these words came out, the officials around them suddenly fell silent, and even the Minister of Justice (Minister of the Department of Justice) sitting in the hall did not dare to speak.

  Liu Jin was now in high spirits, and he looked at the surrounding officials with disdain, uttering another outrageous statement:

  "The whole court is full of civil and military officials, who dares to interrogate me?!"

  Liu Jin, brother, it's better to think before speaking from now on.

  As soon as the words fell, a man walked up and stood in front of Liu Jin, shouting loudly:

  "I dare!"

  Before Liu Jin could react, he waved his hand again and called over two of his men:

  "Slap him!"

  Liu Jin was beaten solidly twice and his eyes were dizzy, originally he was furious, but when he opened his eyes and took a look, he immediately lost his words.

  Because this man really dared to hit him, his name was Cai Zhen, and although the official was not great, he had a special identity - the son-in-law.

  Moreover, the rank of this imperial son-in-law is really too high. His wife is the daughter of Zhu Qizhen, the Ming Yingzong Emperor, and Zhu Qizhen is the great-grandfather of Zhu Houzhao. How should Zhu Houzhao address his elder, you can calculate the generation gap yourself.

  There's nothing more to say, Liu Jin retracted his arrogant attitude and was honestly interrogated by Cai Zhen.

  After deliberation (actually just him), he finally came to a conclusion:

  Liu Jin's plot to rebel was exposed and he was convicted of treason.

  Zhu Houzhao instructed: Beheading after lingering torture.

  Mr. Liu's life has finally come to an end, and many people who scolded him for killing a thousand knives have finally achieved their goal. It is said that it is not just that, because the standard number of knives for slow slicing is more than 3,000, and Brother Liu not only paid back the principal but also paid interest.

  I have always thought that lingchi is the most inhumane and darkest punishment in Chinese history, but when it was used on Liu Jin who had caused countless families to be broken and people to die, I think it's not excessive.

  Because justice was finally upheld.

  After that, Liu Jin's accomplices were also cleared one by one. Unfortunately, Mr. Zhang Cai, who was wise and resourceful, accompanied Mr. Liu to the underworld, continuing to serve as his advisor. The Liu Party in the imperial court was swept away.

  A month later, Yang Yiqing was transferred to the central government as Minister of Revenue, and soon after took over as Minister of Personnel, becoming a heavyweight figure in the court. Jiao Fang and others were expelled from the inner cabinet, and Liu Zhong and Liang Chu became the new grand ministers of the inner cabinet.

  After a desperate struggle, the power of integrity finally gained the upper hand, and the Ming Dynasty returned to its normal track once again.

  Li Dongyang was finally relieved, he had been scolded too much, suffered too much grievance, eaten too much bitterness, and waited for too long. In those hard years, everyone blamed his hesitation, no one comforted his pain.

  Those who know me call me heart-worried, those who don't know me call me what I'm looking for!

  Li Dongyang fulfilled his career and realized his wishes in a proper way. Compared with Liu Jian and Xie Qian, he paid more, and all his actions were worthy of himself and the conscience of heaven and earth.

  Li Dongyang, you're really something else, truly something else.

  In 1512, Li Dongyang applied for retirement and was approved. His position was succeeded by Yang Tinghe.

  Four years later, he died peacefully in his hometown at the age of seventy.